Slow Cooker Split Pea, Potato, Ham and Leek Soup

With a rich ham flavor and a balanced combination of potatoes, leeks, and split peas, this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup was a very pleasant surprise.

My husband loves split pea soup. I’ve tried making it for him several times and each time prior to this, I was unimpressed. Even as a child, split pea soup was my least favorite soup.

Finally, as an adult, I’ve finally discovered a split pea soup I don’t just like or tolerate but really truly LOVE.

Split Pea Soup Recipe

When I saw this Split Pea Soup recipe earlier this week, I decided to give split pea soup another chance. I had a ham bone in the freezer already, so this was an easy meal to create from what I had on hand.

I could tell even before I ladled the split pea soup into bowls that this recipe was a winner. The fragrant garlic and simmering split-peas filled my kitchen with the most delicious smell as the soup cooked.

Then, I took a bite and discovered just how delicious split pea soup can be. Chunks of tender baby red potatoes, onion and leeks swim in creamy split peas that are cooked in a garlicky chicken broth flavored with ham bone.

Each and every spoonful of this hot soup was more delicious than the last and it’s easily become one of my top 10 favorite soups of all time. A few years ago I never would have guessed that I’d become such a fan of split pea soup but I’m so happy I discovered this recipe.

We eat soup frequently, even through the summer. I just crank the air conditioning and pretend it isn’t a million degrees outside for a couple of hours. Served with a fresh homemade baguette, this is a great meal that requires almost no effort.

Crock-pot Split Pea Soup

Slow cookers and soup recipes are a match made in heaven. Making split pea soup in the crock-pot is advantageous in a few different ways.

First, the longer cooking time allows the flavors to meld, mingle and marry to create a finished soup with multiple dimensions of flavor. Many soups famously taste better the next day. When you make soup in the slow cooker you can get that “next day” depth of flavor from the very first time you taste it.

The other major advantage of Crock-pot Split Pea Soup is that you can quite literally set it and forget it. This soup recipe is a one pot meal at its best. All you have to do is layer the ingredients in the slow cooker, pour broth over time and let the whole thing cook for a few hours.

Once the potatoes are cooked through and the split peas are tender, you remove the ham bone from the crock and give the whole soup a good stir. At this point, I turn the slow cooker on a lower setting and leave it alone for another couple of hours to thicken.

Split Pea Soup with Potato, Ham and Leeks makes for such a satisfying and easy weeknight meal. It impressed my husband, who loves any and all kinds of split pea soup, as well as my kids who usually aren’t crazy about soup with split-peas.

This soup is also delicious the next day. Store it covered in the fridge and reheat on the stove or the microwave.

Split pea soup freezes well too. Keep it in the freezer in an airtight container or heavy gallon sized Ziploc bag. Let it thaw in the fridge or at room temperature then reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.

Crock-Pot Soup

Interested in more crock-pot soup recipes like this? This list of 10 of my favorite Slow Cooker Soups for Fall is a great starting point for getting some good use out of your crock-pot .

3cupschicken brothif using homemade stock, be sure to adjust the salt accordingly

3cupswater

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Instructions

Set the crockpot on high and then layer the leeks, onion and potatoes into the bottom of the pot. Then add the ham bone, split peas, garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Pour the chicken broth and water on top of everything.

Let this cook on high for 4-6 hours, or until the peas disintegrate into the broth and the potatoes are tender. Use a fork to remove and shred any remaining meat from the ham bone. Then remove the bone from the soup. Remove the bay leaves as well and then stir the soup.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. At this point, you can adjust the heat to a lower setting. I switched from high to low after about 4 hours and then kept the soup simmering on low for another couple hours and allowed it to thicken a bit while I waited until dinnertime.

About Mary Younkin

Hi, I’m Mary. I’m the author, cook, photographer, and travel lover behind the scenes here at Barefeet In The Kitchen. I'm also the author of three cookbooks dedicated to making cooking from scratch as simple as possible.

This sounds so good. I love leeks. I just bought some frozen at Trader Joe's. This sounds like a great fall recipe, which I am so ready for – kind of grilled out these days. I also love that everything goes right into the crockpot without having to precook anything first. Thanks for sharing this!

Oh, this looks wonderful! And your peanut butter ice cream below is just mouth-watering! I'm going to make it for my daughter. Before going back to Sicily I'll stock up on peanut butter here in Rome, we don't get peanut butter in Trapani. I found you at my friend mylivingcookbook and I'm following you immediately, your recipes are so appetizing!

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